Outlet-valve system



Sepm 2E, 1924.

W. M. GIFFEN OUTLEE1 VALVE SYSTEM Filed June. 19, 1922 ATTORNEY Patented Sept. 23, 1924.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WALLACEl M. GIFFEN, F ALAMEDA, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-THIRD TO NEL- .SON W. THOMPSON, 0F OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA., AND ONE-THIRD T0 GEORGE C.

NOBLE, 0F JBIIEIBIIIlLEY, CALIFORNIA.

OUTLET-VALVE SYSTEM.

Application nrd :une 19, 1922. lsemi No.' 5611481.

To all whom t may concern.' Beit known that I, WALLACE M. GIFFEN, .a citizen of the United States, residing at Alameda, county of Alameda, and 4State 5 of California, have invented a new and useful Outlet-Valve System, of which lthe following is a specification.

This invention relates to valve systems having Vin view, safety first, and 1s prlmarily adapted for use in connection with liquid fuel containers. As an example of its adaptation, and for simplicity and 'convenience, I'shall illustrate and describe my invention as applied to the common tank J truck, which delivers liquidA fuel products to service stations, garages and other users of the same.

In such trucks, any injury to the dispensing valve, as being broken olf in a rear-end collision, may involve a considerable loss, and most frequently a total loss of the, contents of its tank. In cases where an auxiliary or cut-olf valve, is in the discharge line and closel to the tank, and adapted to be manually operated to close the same, a serious loss may also result, especially, if such valve is reached from underneath the tank, or from tlie top of it, because of the time that may elapse between the accident and the drivers recognition of `it, and the time required for him to reach 'the cut-olf valve and close it.

As the contents of the tank truck are of an inflammable nature, any damage done -to the dispensing valye and its piping, may not only lose the contents of the tank, but the gases arising from the flowing gasoline or other highly volatile petroleum product, may render the approach to the cut-olf -valve impossibleor inadvisable.v At such times da more serious consequence, is the ever present danger element of lire with its inherent disastrous results to life, limb and property.

The principal object of my invention is to automatically prevent the loss of the tank contents when an accident occurs to its outlet system, and thereby overcome and eliminate thev above losses and dangerous situations'that exist at such times.

I accomplish the above, by arranging two valves to normally open and close 1n series, and so connect them that the opration of the main valve determines the operation of the auxiliary valve. I further provide means, preferably a spring, to automatically close the auxiliary valve, should the main valve be broken olf, the `connection between the two valves being a tension device, the tension wire thereof is adapted to restrain the spring or other closing means as long as it is in tension, and when not7 in tension, the auxiliary valve, induced by the said spring closes automatically.

Another dangerous situation other than damage to the outlet system may occur, namely: The dispensing valve may be functioning, and the out-Howing gasoline or other product through the valve-spout take lire, and the operator be unable to close the valve. Therefore, another object of prime importance is, that when such an accident occurs, the operator may manually close the auxiliary valve from a remote distance from the dis ensing valve, as from the front of the trudk.

With the above and other objects in view, my invention consists in certain novel featuresof construction, form and arrangement of parts. The accompanying sheet of drawings, forming a part of this specication illustrates but one embodiment of my invention, and what I claim as new, is particularly pointed out in the appended claims following the specification.

Figure 1 of the drawings, shows in side elevation, -a conventional representation of the rear part of a tank-truck, and, applied thereto and partially shown in section, are two valves and their connections, all of which are in accordance with my invention.

Figure 2 isa diagrammatic plan, showing a plurality of dispensing valves fed from the one tank outlet..

,The light dot and dash lines represent the tank and tank out-let flange respectively, above the valve system.

Inv the gures; 1 represents the tank, and 2 the rear wheels of a tank truck. 3 is the main valve which dispenses the fluid contents of the tank, and which may befthe ordinary valve used for this purpose, and 4 is its housing. 5 is a pipe extending from valve 3 to a fitting 6, which latter connects with tank outlet liange 7. Within the flange and seated thereon is a reciprocating safety valve 8, adapted to open inwardly inthe tank, against the pressure of a spring 9.

One end of ,the spring is seated within a cup on the valve -8, and the other end seated similarly cn a bracket 9 which is fixedly secured tothe tank. J

Thus, liquid from the tank must pass through the internal valve 8, which I term the auxiliary valve, into pipe 5, thence through valve 3 to the outlet 10. Upon turning the handle 11, through a limited angle, valve 3 is withdrawn from its seat, and by this movement, oscillates a b ellerank 12 upon a shaft 13 within the houslng 4. Bell-crank 12 pulls on a tension wire 14, which, in turn oscillates a lever 15 supported on rock-shaft 16 within the littlng 6. The lever 17 through a push rod 18, pushes up valve 8 and opens it, so that iquid from the tank flows through the two valves and the pipe 5, and out at 10. Upon closing valve 3, tension on wire l14 is released and valve 8 is automatically closed by spring 9`.-

In the valve` system of Figure 2, the rockshaft 16 extends from fitting to fitting, an end thereof being supported in each of the said fittings as at 19. Intermediate the littings is a pipe 20, having at about its mldway point a fitting 21 adapted to connect to tank liange 7. Push rod 18 and lever 17 carried by the rock-shaft are housed within of any approved design,

the latter fitting.

In this arrangement of a plurality of d1s- `penslng valves 3, either one of the latter may open the internal valve 8, the compression imparted to the tension wire 14 1n the unoperated valve, simply buckles the wire in the ample space of its pipe 5, and without injury to any parts.

To manually close the auxilary valve 8, I provide the fitting 6 with a stuffing box and preferably roundthesame at both extremities to facilitate the operation -of a wire 23 therethrough. One end of the wire may be con- 5 nected to the lower end of push rod 18, and

the other end terminate at the drivers seat or other handy place remote from the dispensing valve 3.

Should the valve system be in dispenslng operation, and an emergency arise requiring that the auxiliary valve 8 be closed and from a remote distance from the outletlO, a pull on the wire 23, will cause the push rod 18 and adjacent parts to assume an angular position on the other side `of the vertical center line as, shown by the light dot and dash lines, thus closing the valve 8 and rendering the situation innocuous. After subsidence of the emer ency, the plug to fitting 6 may be remove and the push rod be poked back .with any chosen tqol`to its normal operative position.

I claim:

1. A liquid container,

valvesystem, including two valves remotely having an outlet spaced and joined by a section of pipe but acting in series and substantially at right angles to each other, the main valve of whichbeing manually operated, and the auxiliary valve vbeing automatically operated in the closing thereof. l

2. A liquid container, comprising, in combination, a main valve, a bell-crank oscillated thereby, an auxiliary valve, a lever connection adapted to open the same, a spring adapted to close said auxiliary valve,

land a tension wire forming the connection between said bell-crank and lever connection.

3. A liquid container, having an outlet valve system, including, a main valve, means for manually operating said valve, an auxiliary valve acting in series with said main valve, means for automatically closing said auxiliary valve, a tension wire and connections between said valves, adaptin said auxiliary valve to be opened by said main valve.

4. A liquid container, having an Aoutlet valve system, including, an external valve and an internal valve remote therefrom and continuous operative connections therebetween, both valves adapted toact in series, the internal valve further adapted to close automatically and independently of said external valve should the operative connections be broken away, the y said internal valve having a flange and T-fitting therefor adapted to house and support the mechanism of said valve.

5. In a liquid fuel tank, an outlet valve system including a safety valve secured to ythe tank and a dispensing valve spaced remote from the safety valve, said d1spensing valve having tension means to open the safety valve simultaneously with its o ning, and the safety valve further provided with means 'to automatically close in an emergency.

6. In a liquid fuel tank truck, a tank having an outlet valve system, including a safety valve and a dis ensing valve and a tension member 'there tween, the latter valve adapted ,to impart motion in tension to open the former valve, and the safety valve adapted to close itself automatically and simultaneous] ,with the manual closing of the dispensing valve.`

7. An outlet valve system for tank trucks, comprising, two valves, a pipe connection therebetween, and a Wire member in said pipe attached. to the valves; one of said valves adapted to be manually opened thereby imparting tension to the wire to open the othrvalve, but said last-named valve adapted to close automatically when tension on the said wire is released.

8. A valve system for tank trucks, comprising, a safety valve and a dispensing valve, a plpe connection therebetween for remotely spacing the valves apart, and a wire member in said pipe connected to said valves, the safety valve forming part of the bottom of 'said tank, the dispensing valve adapted to open and close by arotary motion and the safety val/ve adapted to open and close by a reciprocatin motion, the opening of said safety valve ibeing dependent upon the opening of the said dispensing valve through said wire member, but the closing of said safety valve being dependent upon spring means carried by said valve.

9. In a tank outlet system, an internal valve and a plurality of dispensing valves, connections therebetween, a tension device leading from each dispensing v alve to a rock-shaft, said shaft provided with operative Jxnean's for said internal valve, and any one of saidl dispensing valves adapted to open the internal valve independently of any other dispensing valve.

10. AliquidI container, havingan outlet valve system, including two valves acting in series, the mainfvalve of which being manuallyloperable, and the auxiliary valve pensing valve,l the latter valve normally adapted to operate the former valve, the safety valve beingV provided with means to be manually closed independently of the closing of vsaid dispensing valve.

12. A valve system for tank trucks, comprising, a-vsafety valve and al dispensing valve, and connections therebetween, the safety valve vforming part of the bottom of said tank, the dispensingevalve adapted to open and close by a rotary motion and the safety valve adapted to open and close by a reciprocating motion, the opening of said safety valve being dependent upon the opening of the said dispensing valve, but the closing of said safety valve being dependent at times, upon spring means carried by said valve inconjunction with manually operable means connected therewith.

WALLACE 'M. GI'FFEN. 

